Capture Videos to PinballX Media - Table, Backglass, and DMD

[Draco1962]

Your issue has nothing to do with videos created from this project or others. Unless your issue is with an application used specifically for generating the videos, you may want to keep troubleshooting to that thread to avoid confusion.

[Scooby1]

Glad it worked!

if you have the time I recommend you to let recorder go through all of your tables xml as I found a lot of

errors in the database which had made the table cast an error if someone tryed to start it.

Fixed like 10 of them from error and with fresh videos (and smaller in size) at the same time. killing birds

I found that my using custom xmls for just those table I wanted to create videos for actually created a lot more work (many of my tables in PBX reverted to older table videos under different names). I guess I have multiple videos of each table, so I may go back and delete all but those I now use.

I let PBXRecorder run through all tables in my main xmls and after correcting a few errors, all looks good! Now when I add or change a table, I can run the recorder again and it's SO much faster to go through.

Many thanks again to gtxjoe, Carny and gStav for the help and great work on this. This is one of the most efficient and useful tools on my pin cab!

[ScottyVH]

I've been using this tool and have replaced all of my table and backglass videos and images with it. Wow! What a game changer. It is great to have accurate previews of the different tables and versions, and to have the game appear exactly as the user expects. Thanks for much for this tool!

I have not been able to get it to record DMD videos. Everytime it goes to a new xml list file, I get a warning message that my DMD screen is larger than the maximum allowed. I am using an old Dell 15 inch LCD for my DMD display, which was pretty high resolution (at the time). I can't recall the resolution right now, but I am thinking/guessing it was 1280x1024 ? I can get the actual values if needed.

Is there a way to change or fix this?

Thanks!!!

[Carny_Priest]

How are your screens arranged? Where is your DMD located? It is possible that some part of the DMD is located outside the bounds of your Windows desktop (I.e., overscanning to achieve an edge-to-edge presentation). VPM allows this, but if ffmpeg perceives that you are trying to capture outside of the bounds of Windows desktop it will crash.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ScottyVH]

Thank you Carny_Priest. Sorry, but I can't figure out how to load screen shots, so hopefully my desciprionts will work.

My screens are arranged as follows:

The leftmost of 3 screens in my display properties is my main playfield. It is configured to be my main display, and is my playfield. The orientation is landscape. The dimensions are 1920x1080 (native resolution).

My middle screen is screen number 2. It is my backglass, and the dimensions are 1360x768 (native resolution).

The rightmost screen is screen number 1. It id the DMD. It's dimensions are 1024x768 (native resolution).

All of the screen are top-aligned.

I do not beleive that some part of the DMD is located outside the bounds of your Windows desktop. It is not pushed up against the edges of the screen, it looks right (with a bit of space on all sides), and works well in all other applications.

Does this provide the information you need? Thanks for any help you can provide!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Carny_Priest]

No, I'm not sure.

To post an image, you will need to upload the screenshot somewhere. There are any number of free hosting services. I use Dropbox. You will be able to obtain a link to share the image,

When you respond here, you have a set of icons above the reply window. One of them is an icon of a poloroid photo and the popup says Image when you roll the cursor over it. Click it and post the link to the photo. The screenshot will then be viewable in the post.

Are you running B2S. If so, then you might want to share a screenshot of your screenres.txt.

[gtxjoe]

Hi there,

Scotty, can you attach your the pbxrecorder log file and screenres.txt file. PBX recorder does like what it sees in the screenres.txt for some reason. when replying to this post you can click on "More Reply Options" and you should then be able to attached text files, screenshots, etc. If still having trouble, post the top portion of the log file with the screen dimensions

[the_greeze]

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I can't seem to find any info on this:

When I try to capture videos of a VPX table, the script attempts to launch the VPX table with VPinball992.exe. How do I get the script to launch the table with the correct version of VP? I read through this thread and saw that the script is supposed to try to launch a vpx table if the vpt file with that name isn't found. I see in the log that the script does indeed try to launch the vpx file, but it still uses the wrong executable.

All of my tables are in the same XML file, taking advantage of the AlternateExe tag, if that makes a difference.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

For 'adamstorm' (or anyone else experiencing the same issue), this may be the solution (it was for me anyway)...

Using the Game List Manager that comes with PinballX, (or directly editing the XML - whatever you're happier with) make sure that you delete any tables that are not ticked as 'enabled'.

For example, I have Attack from Mars running under Visual Pinball 10. I previously had it running under VP9 but upgraded it when I saw the VP10 version. So PinballX would run the new, VP10 version I unchecked the 'enabled' box in Game List Manager for the VP9 version and made a new entry (under VP10) for it. Works perfectly in PBX; the old version is not displayed on the menu wheel, the new version is and loads and runs as expected.

PBX Recorder didn't seem to like the reference in the XML to 'unenabled' tables as I experienced the problem adamstorm describes above.

Probably worth pointing out that all three of my VP executables (VP9, VP10 and VP-Physmod) are in one folder. All of my tables are in the one folder too. It may be a good idea to delete (or move somewhere safe) any 'old' tables that you upgrade to VP10.

A big thank you to gtxjoe, gstav and Carny_Priest for this great app.

[adamstorm]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure that applies directly to me though.

All of my tables are in the same XML file (and thus the same tables folder). PinballX launches them fine in this way because I use the AlternateExe tag to specify which executable to use. It does not appear that PBX Recorder looks at that tag because it tries to launch the VPX file with the VP9 executable (as is set up in the PinballX settings)

I do not have a separate "system" set up in PinballX for VP10. I only have one generic "Visual Pinball" system set up.

My question is this: Is there any way to have PBX Recorder launch the VPX files with the VP10 executable without having to have a separate VP10 "system" configured in PinballX?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gStAv]

I think you have to make a custom XML just for the VPX tables and replace the original XML just for the record of the VPX tables then.

(Would be handy to have a baloon check box for different executables befor recording though)

Cheers

[ScottyVH]

Thanks gtxjoe (and everyone) for considering my problem.

Here are the contents of my screenres.txt file:

1920

1080

1360

768

2

0

0

960

300

3305

335

0

Here is what seems to be the important parts of my PBXrecorder.log file:

XMLPathArray[3]=C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX\Databases\Visual Pinball X\Visual Pinball X.xml

WorkingPathArray[3]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball

TablePathArray[3]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball\Tables

ExecutableArray[3]=VPinballX.exe

XMLPathArray[4]=C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX\Databases\Visual Pinball 9.2\Visual Pinball 9.2.xml

WorkingPathArray[4]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball

TablePathArray[4]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball\Tables

ExecutableArray[4]=VPinball921.exe

Working on Visual Pinball.xml (21:40:20)

WARNING: DMD window too large - auto-resizing. Review screenres.txt DMD settings

VirtualScreenWidth = 4304

TotalScreenWidth = 6185

PF_width = 1920

PF_height = 1080

BG_width = 1360

BG_height = 768

DMD_oldwidth = 960

DMD_width = -921

DMD_height = 300

XDMD_X = 3305

DMD_Y = 335

DMD_X = 5225

______________

Working on Visual Pinball PhysMod 5.xml (21:42:40)

WARNING: DMD window too large - auto-resizing. Review screenres.txt DMD settings

VirtualScreenWidth = 4304

TotalScreenWidth = 6185

PF_width = 1920

PF_height = 1080

BG_width = 1360

BG_height = 768

DMD_oldwidth = 960

DMD_width = -921

DMD_height = 300

XDMD_X = 3305

DMD_Y = 335

DMD_X = 5225

____________

Working on Visual Pinball X.xml (21:43:17)

WARNING: DMD window too large - auto-resizing. Review screenres.txt DMD settings

VirtualScreenWidth = 4304

TotalScreenWidth = 6185

PF_width = 1920

PF_height = 1080

BG_width = 1360

BG_height = 768

DMD_oldwidth = 960

DMD_width = -921

DMD_height = 300

XDMD_X = 3305

DMD_Y = 335

DMD_X = 5225

[ScottyVH]

UPDATE: I realized my screenres settings were wonky, so I changed them. THere isn't any differnece in where the DMD is placed when I play a game, however, I've noticed that all of my backglasses are now configured to display the grill (I had it hidden because of my 3 monitor setup). Now, when I run PBXRecorder, it doesn't give the DMD size error message, but it is recording the backglass as the DMD videos.

These new settings/logs are:

Log:

January 09,2016 17:38:083C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX200100130XMLPathArray[1]=C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX\Databases\Visual Pinball\Visual Pinball.xmlWorkingPathArray[1]=C:\Program Files\Visual PinballTablePathArray[1]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball\TablesExecutableArray[1]=VPinball992.exeXMLPathArray[2]=C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX\Databases\Visual Pinball PhysMod 5\Visual Pinball PhysMod 5.xmlWorkingPathArray[2]=C:\Program Files\Visual PinballTablePathArray[2]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball\TablesExecutableArray[2]=VPinball99_PhysMod5.exeXMLPathArray[3]=C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX\Databases\Visual Pinball X\Visual Pinball X.xmlWorkingPathArray[3]=C:\Program Files\Visual PinballTablePathArray[3]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball\TablesExecutableArray[3]=VPinballX.exeXMLPathArray[4]=C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX\Databases\Visual Pinball 9.2\Visual Pinball 9.2.xmlWorkingPathArray[4]=C:\Program Files\Visual PinballTablePathArray[4]=C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball\TablesExecutableArray[4]=VPinball921.exeWorking on Visual Pinball.xml (17:38:53)VirtualScreenWidth = 4304TotalScreenWidth   = 2944  PF_width           = 1920          PF_height          = 1080         BG_width           = 1360          BG_height          = 768         DMD_oldwidth       = 1024      DMD_width          = 1024         DMD_height         = 768        XDMD_X             = 0            DMD_Y              = 0             DMD_X              = 1920             2001 (Gottlieb 1971)MISSING: DMD VideoLaunching table: C:\Program Files\Visual Pinball\Tables\2001 (Gottlieb) (1971) 1.1 FS.vptVideo and screenshot capture (17:39:29)Recording "C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PBXRecorder (64 bit)\dmd.mkv"Convert Videos to .f4v if video was captured (17:40:12)Converting to "C:\Users\USER\Desktop\Pinball_Emulation\PinballX\PinballX 2.02\PinballX\Media\Visual Pinball\DMD Videos\2001 (Gottlieb 1971).f4v"Table done (17:40:20)

Screenres.txt:

1920108013607682001024768000

[gtxjoe]

Scotty, I think your screenres.txt is still wrong. Try this

1920

1080

1360

768

2

0

0

960

300

1385 (I subtracted the playfield width from the orig value 3305-1920=1385)

335

0

[gtxjoe]

adamstorm, I did not add any support for the alternate+exe xml approach since I did not use it

How do you guys create your xml files with the alternateExe tags, manually or with some other tool? Send me your xml file so I should be able to add support.

I have a release I am preparing that will support the Game Manager disable table flag and a little more error checking. I will add the AlternateExe and then release an update

[adamstorm]

gtxjoe, I use a tool called PinX Check: https://www.minds.com/blog/view/471002140853149696/pinxcheck-beta. The discussion thread was at vpforums: http://www.vpforums.org/index.php?showtopic=31049

Here is a copy of my xml file for your reference: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27286380/Visual%20Pinball.xml

BTW, this is an absolutely fantastic tool! I never would have taken the time to do all these videos manually, and having the videos really makes the front end pop! Thank you!

One other feature request while you're working on another version: is it possible to record videos with sound?

[nicco84]

have some problem with two codes

® (like Harley-Davidson® (Stern 1999).f4v and Elvis® (Stern 2004).f4v)

and

' (like James Cameron's Avatar (Stern 2010).f4v)

[Carny_Priest]

Again, if this helps with development I can refer you back to the base script. I maintain a custom xml with an exe tag, but this could be used for the alternateexe tag to support multiple executables including VP10. There is code (commented out) for capturing playfield with audio. For myself, I don't use audio in attract mode.

Audio places another burden on the user. Either the user must load a separate DirectShow audio capturer or ideally simply enable stereo mix in the installed sound driver:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/39532/how-to-enable-stereo-mix-in-windows-7-to-record-audio/

The user must identify using ffmpeg from the command line the DirectShow device to be used for capturing audio and insert that into the User Settings at the top of the script.

ffmpeg -list_devices true -f dshow -i dummy

http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/15207-capture-videos-to-pinballx-media-table-backglass-and-dmd/page-7#entry150401

[gtxjoe]

nicco - Pls post the xml game info for those 3 tables. Is it the description or game name or both?

Carny_Priest - thanks. I will take a look at your earlier scripts

[gtxjoe]

Here is a beta version with fixes/additions below.

; Release 1.2:

; Skip table if table is disabled in Game Manager/XML (Jan 9, 2016)

; Add AlternateExe xml tag support

; Add support for & and ® in Table and Description names

; Check if vpt or vpx file exists, skip table recording if not found

PBXrecorder_1.2beta02.zip

Nicco, I had no problems with James Cameron's Avatar.

[nicco84]

hi gtx. attached my physmod5 database. pbxrecorder take correctly description tables to rename.

i try with your new 1.02 and i have same issue. i'll write

- ® in read is ® in write (like elvis and harley)

- ' in read is ’ in write (like jame's cameron avatar)

- for

</game>
<game name="Indiana Jones MOD 2.5 FS PHYSMOD5">
<description>Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure (Williams 1993)</description>

and

</game>
<game name="STTNG_VP990_HD_GI_MOD_1.3_Physmod_FOM">
<description>Star Trek: The Next Generation (Williams 1993)</description>

pbxrecorder creates files but stop write before :

it creates files with only write "indiana jones" and "star trek" like if : interrupts everything. files are with no extension and if i try rename them with extension f4v they don't start, like if they are never been encoded

that is because it's not permitted write file name with :

is the same for AC/DC but it jump correctly / writing ACDC and pinballx read correctly video file.

problem is that i already have BG and PF for elvis harley and avatar but it read wrong and it start recording again.

maybe it's due to my italian layout keyboard?

Visual Pinball Physmod5.xml

[ScottyVH]

Scotty, I think your screenres.txt is still wrong. Try this

1920

1080

1360

768

2

0

0

960

300

1385 (I subtracted the playfield width from the orig value 3305-1920=1385)

335

0

Wow.... that did it! I don't understand the logic or what I did wrong. Apparently I should've paid more attention in math class. Thanks GTXJoe for getting me going.

[gStAv]

Here is a beta version with fixes/additions below.

; Release 1.2:

; Skip table if table is disabled in Game Manager/XML (Jan 9, 2016)

; Add AlternateExe xml tag support

; Add support for & and ® in Table and Description names

; Check if vpt or vpx file exists, skip table recording if not found

PBXrecorder_1.2beta02.zip

Nicco, I had no problems with James Cameron's Avatar.

Cool! Still no PIN2DMD kill fix in this one master?

Thanks for this super-tool again!

[gtxjoe]

Another 1.2 Beta release -

ADDED in this BETA (01/10/16)

; Add support for Italian ® and ' characters. I can't test this, so Nicco, let me know if this helps

; Add PinXCheck <exe> xml tag support

; Add support for resetting or blanking PIN2DMD RGB LED module. Download and unzip the attached PIN2DMD.zip to the PBXRecorder folder. (If you want to see the PIN2DMD OPENSOURCE logo instead of a Blank screen, delete the blank.ppm file in the PIN2DMD folder)

; Release 1.2 (01/09/16)

; Skip table if table is disabled in Game Manager/XML (Jan 9, 2016)

; Add Pinballx <alternateExe> xml tag support

; Add support for & and ® in Table and Description names

; Check if vpt or vpx file exists, skip table recording if not found

To use this BETA, you need to have the previous release installed. Either x64 bit or x32 bit version here: http://goo.gl/eIhc88

Then download the beta and run it from the PBXRecorder folder.

I have not looked into the video recording with audio support yet.

PBXrecorder_1.2beta04.zip

Pin2dmd.zip

[nicco84]

hi joe, i try with your last beta04

here's results (physmod5.xml it's reduced to only tables report bug during recording)

correct filname taken from descritpion field in xml for physmod5 and vpx (acdc not present in xml cause i do a second test, but description is correct)

- AC/DC (Stern 2012)

- Elvis® (Stern 20004)

- Harley-Davidson® (Stern 1999)

- Star Trek: The Next Generation (Williams 1993)

- The Sopranos® (Stern 2005)

- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Williams 1991)

with beta04 the output files name are:

- No Files output and ffmpeg doesn't try to encode them (dos windows close in 1 second)

- Elvis® (Stern 2004®® (Stern 2004).f4v

- Harley-Davidson® (Stern 1999®y-Davidson® (Stern 1999).f4v

- star trek (only 2 words without extension, always caused by : (colon))

- The Sopranos® (Stern 2005®opranos® (Stern 2005).f4v

- Terminator 2 (only 2 words without extension, always caused by : (colon))

NOTES:

- ® stays for ®

- NO MORE issue with ' (like james cameron's avatar)

in my modest suggesting: when i download playfield video by pbx game manager (with flag in checkbox "Online for import") the manager donwload videos for AC/DC and Star Trek: The Next Generation but it renames them in ACDC (without /) and Star Trek The Next Generation (without colon) .... i think in script should find a way to erase / and :

really thanks for all your precious work Joe

Visual Pinball Physmod5.xml

Visual Pinball X.xml

[slydog43]

Thanks for a cool util, but I'm having trouble getting the correct placement and running of correct exe. I have 3 systems setup with PinballX (vp9, vp10, and vp9 physicmod). When I run the program (1.1) it goes through and finds a missing image and it runs vp9 instead of vp10 (since it is a vpx table and listed in my Visual Pinball 10.xml file). How can I only process 1 xml file at a time and I will manuall move the files over. maybe have a destination folder for the outputs instead of the pinball media folders (or use the capture directories).